Becoming Hela
by formlessgod
Summary: SI as Hela. Alternate canon later.
1. Chapter 1

Today is the day.

The day of my final assessment. As I stand in the Arena, stands filled with people waiting to be entertained I ponder about my last few years and coming ones.

Today marks the end of my training as a member of the Valkyrior of Asgard. Usually passing this last test would mean that I can call myself sword sister of the valkyries. Not for me though. No Hela Odinsdottir cannot be bound into an oath of servitude. As crown princess of Asgard, I would rule over them one day instead. Not that this fact made these 100 years of training any easier.

Yep, you heard that right, Hela Odinsdottir, friggin goddess of death, villainess extraordinaire, firstborn to Odin Borson and Frigga Freyrdottir. For how this came to be? Honestly, no idea. I will not deny that I freaked out the first couple of years, more like the opening 100. But comparing 30 somethings years on earth versus 100 years on Asgard sets a lot of things into perspective. I figured this is some kind of afterlife, how I died, no idea, and if I ever have the opportunity to meet the one above all you can be sure that I have a couple of questions. But that's for the future. Asgardians have a life span around 5000 years and a daughter of Odin and goddess of death I figure I might get some years extra. If I remember correctly I am supposed to be quasi-immortal as long Asgard stands. So there will be plenty of time to seek answers.

No, my immediate concern was surviving long enough to get there. If this was, in fact, the MCU, I am fated to die in some fiery blaze with Ragnarok going on. Even after the new 287 years, that's not a comforting thought. Thankfully I can use my foreknowledge to prevent that from happening. How you might ask?

First, get as strong as the original.

Secondly, don't fall from grace and get banished.

Thirdly, secure continued survival.

And only then get answers.

Easy actually.

I figured if I joined the Valkyrior, then it's highly unlikely I slaughter all of them and get banished in response and get the best training Asgard has to offer at the same time. Two birds meet one stone. I wish I could tell you now how successful that plan was, but even after 100 years of training with them, separated from my parents, the palace and all Luxus, I have not made a single friend among the sisterhood. Lots of training partners sure but none of the sisterly bond I see between the others. At least I learned how they fight and strategise. Worst comes to pass I will have an easier time fighting them. After all "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." Not that I plan to let it come to that, but contingencies are going to keep me alive.

I am still hopeful that in time I will be accepted as honorary sword sister. It cannot be easy to see the crown princess as your equal. Add to that that even after a quarter of a century I look like a little 10-year-old girl and half my face looks like its a rotting corpse. Let's just say I stick out and not in a positive way. At least I don't smell rotten. Call me a glass is half full kind of girl. Like I said living past 100 years puts things into perspective. Sadly I cannot tell you if this means I am not in the MCU or if the original Hela just covered her face in an illusion like Loki did. I might need to do the same if only to keep my allies comfortable. Sadly I hadn't had the opportunity to learn much magic yet, but you can be sure it's on top of my to-do list.

Back to my test. Simple really, I just have to fight a veteran valkyrie and proof that I have the skills and tenacity needed for the job. Ordinary recruits fight for about 20 minutes before the veteran get serious and bashes them in a matter of second. But like I said I am Hela, which means I am stronger, faster and more durable than your average Asgardian. So even in the body of a child, I have the advantage in these areas. The only thing I lose out on is the experience. Which means I am still very likely to lose.

The Valkyrior, however, are the Asgardian elite warriors. Cream of the crop so to speak. They have been in dozens of life and death battles, and every close call sharpened their edges a little bit more. And since Odin is not the peace-loving king he was pictured as in the movies I can assure you they are the real deal. They just came back from a successful campaign against Muspelheim home of my future killer Surtur. Odin and his forces successfully acquired the eternal flame and weakened Surtur to a point where he is no longer a threat to Asgard. I heard there has been a massive fest in the palace a few weeks back, not that I took part since again I am still learning to become a valkyrie.

No, I was preparing for this day. In front of me stands Skeggjöld, master of the war axe, in her battle armour polished to full glory. A fierce and tough warrior who has been a valkyrie longer than I have been alive. She was a bit too bloodthirsty for my taste since she prefered brutal onslaught where she uses superior strength to overpower her opponents. What she lacked in finesse she made up in ruthlessness. Her mighty axe will give her slashes enough power to overcome even me and her bulky figure gave her superior reach. She had enough muscles to earn the nickname musclehead among the sisters, worst of all she seemed to take it as an endearment. I would call her a brute if I weren't above such petty things.

"Does the little princess want to fight?" she mocked me, "Do you really think you are ever going to be worthy of being one of us?"

I sigh and rolled my eyes. Getting your enemies angry enough to make mistakes, common tactic. I sighed again and responded calmly "Can we start? I like to get this over as soon as possible."

Receiving my blaise response, she started bowling with laughter, "Oh little princess, I thought you would have learnt by now, you have no say here. So sit on your little butt and wait until the adults tell you what to do." her voice getting annoyingly high as though she was speaking to a baby.

I didn't even deem that a reaction. Keeping my face blank and my stare flat, trying to fluster her that way. Not that it worked as she just kept her posture relaxed and a confident smile on her face. Since I don't want to fall for her mind games, I concentrated on breathing instead. Since becoming Hela, I gained the fantastic ability to sense life around me when focusing. I often took comfort in the warm life signs of the Asgardians around me. Reminding me that I was never alone no matter how harsh the training was. So even while having no friends per se, I noticed this way there was no real scorn directed my way.

As I take in the auras of the spectators in the gallery, I let my sense wander to the royal lounge, and as expected I feel my 'new' parents. Odin calm and cold, a calculating king, and Frigga full of worry for her little girl. To be honest, during my years in the palace, I barely talked to Odin at all, he was always busy planning and fighting for the good of Asgard. Rushing from one war to another. Not that I minded since he seemed aloof even in the movies. And that was after his change to a warmer personality. No, I was Friggas girl through and through. She doted on me with no end, and even with the mind of an adult, she won me over in a heartbeat. Not that I made it hard to be doted on, I was an angel compared to other babies. Never fussing much, eating all my vegetables, no temper tantrums. They had no idea how lucky they had it with me. The only thing we ever fought about was my entry into the Valkyrior training program. She argued it was too soon and I was too young. She would have been probably right if I hadn't been extra mature from birth. Surprisingly it was Odin that allowed my entrance in the end, after a spectacular fight around the family dinner he spoke in my favour. Giving me permission while keeping his gaze calculating. Integrating me in his future plans no doubt. It unnerved me to no end at the time, but since it aligned with my own designs, I jumped on the opportunity. Asgard was after all a race of warriors and my survival hinged upon being among the best of them. Still, it broke my heart to feel the deep seeded worry inside my mother right now. I wanted nothing more as to run to her, hug her and tell her there is no need. That I am now strong enough to handle whatever life throws at me.

No, I could not do that. Not before finishing my fight. Renewing my resolve to win and proving my strength, I refocused my concentration on my opponent. Skeggjöld would likely jump me as soon as the match starts and try putting me on the defensive. Her fighting style is mainly offensive in the end. I will have to dodge until she gives me an opening and strike without mercy. Hesitation will lose you the fight against fighters that know what they are doing. The only worry I had was falling for a fake opening. That is where the difference in experience comes to play.

Not willing to lose the fight before it starts I banish the worries from my head. Finally, Valtrauta, leader of the Valkyrior, walks towards us to start the examination. I quite like Valtrauta, she has a level head, allows no dissent among her ranks and judges reasonably if arguments arise. Furthermore, I learned quite a bit of swordplay from her. Both of us prefer to change fighting styles according to opponents and adjusting to situations and using every resource available. Which meant preparing information before the fights happen. Her favourite teaching was "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win" and it showed in her serving record. She was highly decorated and widely celebrated as one of Asgards heroes. And if we were indeed in the MCU, she should be the future lover of Brunnhilde.

I tried quite hard to befriend her but so does half Asgard. Anyway, I was always hard working and kind to my fellow recruits. So I should have left a positive image at the very least.

As she arrived before Skeggjöld and me, she took a moment to gaze upon us. Probably to check if both of us are not a victim of some kind of malicious scheme. I assume she judged us battle-ready as she began to speak.

"Skeggjöld. Hela. I expect a clean fight without any accidents. You are here to let Hela be judged if she has learnt enough to be called valkyrie. That means I expect that while both of you to fight with full strength, there will be no killing blow."

"No worries Valtrauta, I'll show the little princess how a real valkyrie fights." countered my opponent with a laugh. "This will be over soon, and we can get some ale to celebrate my victory."

Instead of answering, I lowered my stance to increase my mobility and lucky that I did. Since the next words out of Valtrauta were "You may start." and as if it was a starting shot Skeggjöld launched with a mighty leap in my direction and fiercely chomped at me with her axe. Dodging the swing with a small jump to the right was the right decision as she shattered the ground where I stood just a few moments earlier. The crowd seemed to love that the action finally begun as the cheering started loudly. Not wanting to give up her momentum, Skeggjöld jumped into my direction and this time launched a horizontal slash to hit me even mid-dodge. Seeing the move coming I bend backwards and dodge underneath her weapon hoping to catch her by surprise. I underestimated her momentum however as she didn't stop her dash instead decided to kick me with her knee. I barely was able to guard my chest before I was hit. Not fighting against the force of the hit I started flying back a couple of meters to gain some distance before landing safely on my feet. Not wanting to let me breathe Skeggjöld begun her next dash towards me. Hoping to surprise her I grab a throwing knife I hid on my backside of belt and throw it towards her.

The widening of her eyes betrayed her, but she was still fast enough to use her weapon to neutralise the trap. This is, however, the opportunity I was waiting for as I follow my knife towards her. Since she was full swing, I use this opening to stab into her left shoulder and see my blade coming out of her back. Not wasting a second I instantly leave my blade and pull out to put some distance between us. I hear the crowd letting out a massive gasp before continuing their cheers. Skeggjöld herself just let out a grunt eying her wound and quickly removes the blade to regain some mobility. She knows that she won't be able to put the same force into her attacks as before losing a crucial advantage. So instead of continuing her onslaught, she kept waiting for my next move. She knew that having no weapon was not disadvantageous in this situation.

So we stood just a couple of meters from another staring. Neither really out of breath because the fight hadn't been long enough. I knew the wound was deep enough so that even Asgardian accelerated healing wouldn't close it anytime soon. As it were, I was in no rush to attack. I knew she was ready and also hoping I would get close to her. No, I would keep my distance for the moment. Instead, I began moving in half circle to get the sun behind me. Content to give me this advantage Skeggjöld just turned on the spot no doubt hoping this would finally give me a reason to attack. Instead, I prepared my next surprise. I undid my belt which was, in reality, a whip with an iron spike at the end. I had hidden the whip itself under my shirt. It was the first time I used such a tactic, so I was certain Skeggjöld hadn't expected a thing. Like every valkyrie we both were proficient with a dozen different weapons and ambidextrous. The only difference between each sword sister was the level of proficiency depending on their individual fighting style. I usually prefer a broadsword since it allowed me a couple of fighting styles for close combat, throwing knives for midrange and energy weapons for long range combat. In the future, I will concentrate on adding magic for versatility to my arsenal. This whip was special though, it had a specially made hook. It was made out of dwarven forged steel which had cost me a fortune. But being princess had its own perks. Since I no longer needed to get close to attack, I whipped at my foe. Skeggjöld simply used her axe as a shield, but she underestimated my weapon. Dwarven steel is costly for a reason. The axe she used shattered under the might of my pinpoint attack as she was not quick enough to pull back. I instantly launched another attack.

Having no other choice, she jumped backwards. Since I had the initiative now, I tried to stay in range for additional attacks. Skeggjöld experience was showing again though. After my first surprise, she masterfully dodged every coming attack and skillfully kept her distance. I could see her appraising her options. She was in a dire situation but hadn't yet lost hope. I needed to end this quickly but how. Then the result of my next swing caught me by surprise. Skeggjöld decided to grab my whip with her right hand injuring it in the process. Seeing a new opportunity, I simply let go and jumped towards my previously discarded sword and picked it up with roll. Skeggjöld clearly didn't expect my continued switching of tactics as she was again caught unaware and started to frown. With an injured left shoulder and the right hand, she could barely hold a weapon. She was not proficient enough in the use of the whip to content against my swordplay. I could see her anger rising as she knew she would be bested. Clearly, Valtrauta made the same call as she jumped in between us and quickly declared: "The victor is Hela Odinsdottir." before Skeggjöld would do something she regretted.

And if I had thought the crowd was loud before the next wave of applause brought the noise on a whole new level. Other sword sisters were rushing towards Skeggjöld to bring her medical attention. I noticed that none gratulated me, but I didn't care for the moment. I had done it, I bested a valkyrie. Proud of myself I let a rare smile appear on my face


	2. Chapter 2

Author note: Felt like changing Asgards history to make it more whole, hope you like it.

* * *

Even a few weeks after my fight, after settling in into the palace life and being coddled by my mothers for the whole time, I hadn't yet spoken a single word to my father, Odin. No word of praise or even a simple "Hello, how have you been?". But that would change today as my lessons in statecraft and magic started today. It was after all my duty as heiress.

I was currently on my way to his private office to begin my first lesson, walking through the empty halls. My steps were echoing in the high ceilings. When I arrived I saw Odin standing above a map of the 10 realms with his back turned to me. Presumably in deep thought. Not wanting to disturb him, I just placed myself to his right and looked at the map myself.

The map showed the mighty world tree Yggdrasil with 3 planets on its top. Asgard at the helm, Vanaheim, the home of the Vanir, the birthplace of my mother Frigga, and Alfheim, home of the light elves and fairies, slightly under it. In the centre of its trunk was Midgard or as you know it, Earth. On the outer ring of the trunk laid Jotunheim, home of the Frost Giants. And finally at its root Svartalfheim, Nidavellir, Muspelheim, Heven and Niflheim. Respectively, former home of the dark elves, home of the dwarves, home of the fire-demons, home of the angels and lastly home of the mist and also later of my prison, Hel.

As I took in every detail, trying to commit them to my memory, my father started solemnly speaking.

"To know of Asgards needs is to know of Asgards history. To know of Asgards history, one has to know of the history of the realms. At their beginning, the realms were not connected by the Yggdrasil. Once they were much like every other planet. But a huge danger was heading towards them, endangering all life in this sector. A planet eater, no realm in itself, was strong enough to handle. But when all hope was lost our ancestor, Tyr found a way to save all. He had found an Infinity Stone."

"An Infinity Stone?" I ask innocently, not wanting to give any foreknowledge away.

"Yes, one of the 6 Infinity Stones. Each of these stones controls one aspect of the cosmos. Tyr had found the space stone, which controls like its name suggests, space itself. However, even with the help of the space stone, he was not strong enough to defeat the planet eater. That is why he went to every planet in the known realms and proclaimed a bold plan. You see, every planet creates cosmic energy. How much depends on different factors. Its mass, its location, its age, how full of life it is, how diverse and strong, said life is, and how long the planet has left to live. What our Tyr planned was to link the realms and like a tree channel the cosmic energy of its roots to the crown. Most of it to Asgard, which we would use in return to defeat the planet eater. Furthermore, it allowed as a special means to travel between the realms via the Rainbow bridge."

"And the other realms knew that they gave away their cosmic energy to us?"

"Of course they knew, but like I said it was desperate times. But even then it was not enough for some realms, some wanted more. They were greedy, even in the face of death."

"What did they ask for?"

"First of all, Asgard pledged to be the protector of the realms. Additional, to the frost giants, we gave away the Casket of Ancient Winters, to Muspelheim, we gave away the Eternal Flame. I recently returned that one to our halls. And lastly, to Svartalfheim we gave the Aether. Which the dark elves tried to use to destroy all light in the universe, only to be thwarted by my father, Bor. The dark elves taught me the valuable lesson that Muspelheim and Jotunheim cannot be left unchecked as well."

"What happened to the space stone, father?"

"To keep the realms safe the change had to be made permanent. Therefore it needed to be placed on the centre of the formation. There it'll remain until its task is done."

"On Midgard."

"Very astute Hela."

While I preened under the rare praise, I continued my questioning. "And how long does the Infinity Stone need to be left on Midgard?"

"Like many mythical effects, it is quantified differently. Here, it is not measured in time but instead in generations, to be exact 10 generations, your generation."

"Does that mean the space stone can be received right now?"

"As soon as you step foot on Midgard. But every other realm knows this as well. I fear, as soon as you enter Midgard, a battle-royal will start, and I suspect the others will unite against us first and then battle it out afterwards. This is why it is paramount to cement our position as strongest right now. We cannot allow the danger to occur towards Asgard. We cannot allow another realm to get it. We must protect the people of Asgard. Do you understand, Hela?"

"I understand father."

* * *

"The leader of a huge army can be defeated, but the belief of a singular person rarely can be shaken."

* * *

\- On Infinity Stones -

"Just like the cosmos itself the origin and age of the Infinity Stones are unknown. Many believe the Infinity Stones always have been there, beyond the confinements of space and time. But who can be sure?

We know that there are six stones in total. Space, time, power, mind, reality and soul. Each stone can be used in multiple ways. They are infinite in their purposes and only limited by the limit of their users' imagination. The space stone, for example, lets you travel between two spaces in an instance. But at the same time, you can use it to reshape space to your will. It can even be used to create matter. With the time stone, you can see all possibilities of time, or you can simply freeze one object in time. The power stone is the most potent energy source. It can give any other stone unlimited resources. It is the ultimate battery or the final explosion. With the mind stone, no thought will be hidden, and you can implant thoughts in the minds of anyone. The reality stone allows you to reshape reality itself. Make impossible things possible and possible things impossible. Finally, with the soul stone, you can twist the soul of a sinner to a saint and vice versa, or you can suck the souls of your enemies to power your own.

And these little Hela, are only the most common uses of the Infinity Stones. Always be careful if you ever encounter one of these. They can doom you as quickly as they grant you power."

* * *

"The noble seeks harmony, not equality. The common seeks equality, not harmony."

* * *

\- On magic -

"Magic is not bound by the laws of the universe as we conceive it. It is not even bound by the rules of Multiverse. With magic, we reshape reality to our beliefs either by trick or by force. Naturally, changing reality comes with a price. The universe has a balance, a harmony, which it wants to preserve at all cost. To keep the balance, the caster has to pay his or her due. There are many ways to cast magic. Some need the use of the spoken word. They use the words to harness energy drawn from other dimensions of the Multiverse to cast spells to conjure shields and weapons. Sometimes it is simple enough to just believe in something so strongly that it becomes a reality on its own. For example, there has been a group Midgardians that started to believe in a Pantheon of Gods. Its ruler Zeus visited us not long ago. He and his kin came to existence because enough people believed in them, and they will continue to exist until that belief ceases. Nobody knows what exactly is part of such spells, but they occur and are recorded throughout history. Another way of spellcasting is the usage of rituals. Rituals are bargains with the universe. You offer something of value and receive something of equal value. Rituals are tricky business though, as it is not the caster that decided if a bargain has been set. It is the cosmos again. There are many more ways you will encounter in your studies, but no matter which way spells are cast, somehow, somewhere the cost will be paid.

To begin your journey into the mythical arts, you have to realize that where magic is concerned, there's always an initial decision, an initial willingness to let it into your life. If that is not there, neither is magic. For example, if you want to be able to change your appearance to an animal. You must believe that said form is your natural state as firmly as you believe in your current form. At the same time, you have to firmly believe that it is possible to change your appearance from one into the other. You have to be willing to change, to lose your current form. You have to accept a new reality before you can make it happen. Only when your intent is clear and your thoughts on this single task, you will be able to change your form. Your first steps will be to clear your mind of all thoughts, of all desires. Before you can achieve that, you will never be able to cast a single spell on purpose. Now go meditate Hela. Come back when your mind is clear."

* * *

"Fate shuffles the cards, and we play."

* * *

\- On destiny -

"Did you know there is a prophecy about the destruction for Asgard? It had been made thousands of years ago. Long before I had been born. Before even my father has been born. Nonetheless I am mentioned. It predicts Asgards doom by the hand of Muspelheim, and my death will the starting point. My death will begin Ragnarok."

"Do you believe it, father?"

"It certainly possible. But can you guess how many possible futures are between now and one moment in 10 minutes? Even if we disregard the most unlikely, we still speak about a number well in the millions if not billions. So do I believe it possible? Yes. Is it likely? No. Never let anybody tell you what is fated or not. You make your own destiny and as a ruler with it the destiny of Asgard."

"But is it wise to disregard the knowledge of the future?"

"The thing about future knowledge is either you believe so firmly in it that you made it happen in the first place or you get caught utterly unprepared if it didn't."

"I think, I understand father. But won't it make the prophecy more likely, now that you have told me?"

"No," he said, and he somehow made this single word sound so sure.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because you will prevent it."

* * *

"First build a home for your enemy, then build a home for your allies and lastly build a home for yourself."

* * *

"Kill him!"

"What has he done?"

"He was sentenced to death by Asgards court. That is all that matters."

"I don't understand father. What if he was judged wrongly."

"Then an innocent man dies today. Now strike the killing blow."

I hesitated still. Never before had I taken the life of another aware being. Then Suddenly, my body went rigid, and I lost complete control. Before I realized what had happened, I had struck. With a single strike I had taken a life. My weapon bloody felt heavier than ever before. With wide eyes, I looked at my father. "You took control. Why? How?"

He looked me in the eyes, no emotion on his face nor his voice and said. "With a stronger will."

Then he the yelled. "Guards, bring the next one!"

* * *

Amatsumi thx for telling me that the lines were missing.

evo123457 hela has a partly rotten face in the original myth. afaik. Seems like I was wrong. x)


	3. Chapter 3

While Hela stepped out of the light beam that was the rainbow bridge, she brooded as she frequently tended to do. She was wearing a dark purple cape with a hood and a silver plate armour with gold engravings showing her royal standing. Her armour was made in the best metal Asgard had to offer and would protect her from most damages. The cape was a gift of her mother and would keep her dry and warm during the entirety of her journey. Her hair had grown to shoulder length. It was still spotting Friggas blond except over the rotten part of her head. That particular part was pitch black. Hela never quite managed to change the colour of that hair no matter what she tried. Not even with her mothers' magical touch. Right now, the princess was showing a thoughtful face. Even in her previous life, she had been prone to overthinking many aspects of life.

'Is this the job I want to do forever?'

'Can she earn more if I switch companies?'

'Do I invest or save my earnings?'

'Should I just settle with the next partner I meet?'

In retrospect, she suspected that she simply never found her true calling. Sure she was decent in many things, being a better than average programmer among those. But neither work nor her private life was all consuming. She always did moderate. Tipping her toes in many puddles, but never diving in. Instead, she came up with plans she never followed to the end, listened to the empty advice everyone was giving out and adapted to situations life threw at her. In her opinion, it always felt that everyone, including her, just seemed to wing it at the end of the day.

Now though, now Hela felt the weight of her decisions. Where previous mistakes only affected her, she was now responsible for the life of others. Every failure could doom many. You can only imagine how much that increased her procrastinating. For the first few hundred years, she was quite proud that it held strong this long, her self-preservation still drove her to get up every day, to struggle against fate, to increase her strength, to save everyone she once admired. After all, she always had been better with a set deadline. Never one quite so literal, but she generally needed the pressure to function. Then she learned she was born 90 B.C. and with only 300 years of age, meant she still has around 1800 years before Ragnarok or even before Thanos gets hands on all infinity stones. Hell, even Thor wouldn't be born for at least 600 more years. That took a lot of gas out of the tank, not everything, but the feeling of her imminent death was a lot more muted now.

It gave her breathing room. Hela didn't realize she missed. She took a look around and noticed for the first time, the beauty of her second opportunity. This rare chance of living life to its fullest, as the crown princess of Asgard at that. She regretted that she never took the time and visited Midgard to see if Jesus truly walked the earth and what his deal was. Was he an alien? A mutant? Just a regular guy? Well, that particular train has left the station.

Speaking of Jesus, in her recent studies with Odin, Hela learned that Asgardians are in fact not related to Celestials in any way. Which sadly meant no access to any divine power. Not that this diminishes the fact that some Asgardians can accomplish godly feats. Just take Odin for example, that guy is a real powerhouse in the universe. The full package. Strength, magic and strategy. Barely anyone can contest with him, and he even had driven Thanos off when he made his first play for infinity stones in the 10 realms. But he did so not with divine energy but with cosmic powers. Turns out her ancestor channelled so much cosmian power through Gungnir fighting Galactus off that it changed his DNA and thus the royal line. She personally liked to think that they are some kind of weaker offshoots of the infinity stones, with Odin as the reality stone, herself as the soul stone and Thor as the power stone. Each was representing an aspect of the cosmos. Not that they were bound in these roles, but them simply being their natural advantages. She really wanted to prove her point and get the soul stone to see if they resonated. But she wasn't ready for the target it would paint on her back. Provided it already resided on Vormir in the first place. She couldn't risk checking right now but she soon would.

Still, she had plenty of time, and this also meant, she had plenty of time to set up a defence or to find counter strategies for future threats. After all, she had the crucial advantage of knowing who and what she was dealing with. While she at the same time, remained in the shadows. An unknown player in a high stake game. All she had to do was to stack up the game in a way that her victory was decided before the fight started.

Which led them here. Since her studies of the mystics arts hit a bit of a slump early in the lessons. Don't judge. She always saw herself more as a scientist and firmly believed that Tony Stark was the most valuable Avenger. Thus she had a hard time accepting some facts if you can call them that, about her arcane studies. Combined with the fact that the princess of Asgard started procrastinating lately. She found herself utterly unable to do even the most basic spells. To the point that had even Odin and Frigga baffled.

That was why Hela was to lead an expedition to Niflheim to study the mystical energies of the many veils of mist. Even good old Heimdall, yes he was already around though new at his job as the watchman, was unable to look through them. With her were 24 Asgardian soldiers for protection and High-Sorceress Magne with a couple of her disciples to guide us. The soldiers were dressed in typical royal guardsman fashion. They had a plain chain-mail armour, dwarven steel plates to cover their arms and legs, a full-helmet with a little golden antler and spears that doubly functioned as energy weapons. The magical party all wore simple cloaks and had staffs to help in their hike and worked as defensive weapons.

Despite being the nominal leader of this little excursion, Magne quickly took control and barked out orders with the ease that only spoke of her experience. She sent out several soldiers to scout ahead while the others split up to defend them from different directions. After getting everything in order, they promptly started their little march.

Hela sighed as she took in the sights of Niflheim. The sky was filled with clouds that promised rain, later on, the humidity was quite high, and the temperature warmer than Asgard. The landscape was triste with almost no wildlife. Endless plains with dozens of hills that prevented a good outlook of were they were heading. She sighed again as she knew that she was gonna start sweating just a couple of minutes into our walk.

What bothered her the most though, was an itch back in her mind she couldn't place. Something was different about this place. It felt potent and cold to her. Not like a freezing cold but like something indifferent. It was hard to describe since it was just an itch for now. At first, our budding sorceress tried to channel some energy in her body, the only magic trick she managed to learn, to fight off this feeling. To her surprise, instead of countering the perception, her actions only intensified the coldness.

Hela instantly stopped the channel and felt relief that the numbing coldness went back to its original itching state. Seeking help, she quickly caught up with Magnes' little group and interrupted their private conversations.

"Mistress Magne, what is this power in the air? Can you feel it as well?"

Not perturbed, Magne simply raised a well-styled eyebrow and began lecturing. "You can feel it out here? Usually, one needs to get closer to the mist to sense anything. You might be more attuned to magic than we were led to believe. What you feel is the residue of a very ancient dark spell. Cast thousands of years ago. It is a promise of death, princess Hela. Though what your attunements mean for you, you have to discuss with the All-Father himself. Perhaps your studies need to take a more sinister turn before you can finally cast a simple spell."

That little poke made her students snicker, but Hela simply gritted her teeth since she didn't want to show Magne that she managed to get a rise out of her.

Instead, she humbly responded: "Thank you for the advice, Mistress Magne."

Having her answers, she let herself fall back a few steps indicating that the conversations were over. It honestly didn't surprise her that much that she might have an easier time feeling dark magic after all she was destined to be Asgards' Lady Death herself. Still, that didn't help her understand how to use her magic. Since Magne hadn't warned her of any impending danger and realizing that the coldness was natural, in a way at least, to darker magic, she tried channelling the energy again. She wanted to get a feel of it. This time she was focusing it to her hand. Like before her whole body felt colder. Her hand, which held the highest concentration of the power felt numb like it had fallen asleep. Still, she managed to raise a finger and focused on the light incantation. *Light*

Nothing.

Used to this failure, a rare mischievous thought went to Hela head.

"Lumos"

With a pout, she stopped trying to channel her inner Harry Potter. Still nothing.

She let most of the power go and rubbed her hand to chase away the numbness. Her face shortly showed her annoyance before she schooled it back into her well-mannered mask. That hadn't work either.

'I still had time.'

Instead of focusing on the frustration, she redid her meditation practices and tried to empty her head. It would not do her any good to throw a temper tantrum. She would continue her grind towards understanding and mastery. No matter how hard it seemed right now. Magic would be a crucial advantage in the future.

Hela then noticed one of the scouts coming back to report. "Mistress Magne we found a veil of mist 20 minutes ahead of us. The path is clear."

Magne seemed pleased with this tidbit, maybe she was not the only one that could feel the aura of the place, or perhaps she just didn't enjoy the local scenery. "Well done soldier, back to your station." and then slightly louder, "Stay alert, everyone. This is not Asgard, danger lurks around every corner."

After a wave of confirmation grunts, they continued their walk.

Getting closer, Hela noticed a shudder going through Magnes' disciples. Seemingly they were feeling the same coldness now. The princess noticed that the closer she got, the more empty she felt. It felt as if she was only a spectator right now. Everything else felt surreal, she raised up her hand to get a better look at it, even turning it around and wondering if this wasn't just all her imagination. She felt ridiculous that she believed that she was actually reborn in a fictional universe. She should have known better. It was far more plausible that she had been a coma, and her brain had made up everything she experienced to shield her from some trauma. Perhaps this realization meant that she was finally ready to wake up.

'No!'

Suddenly feeling dreadfully cold.

'This was the energy speaking!'

Hela channelled the energy out of her body as fast as she could, to keep it from affecting her. Though still feeling numb, her perception changed drastically. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Mistress Magne touch her students with a green-glowing hand. After which each seemed to regain their senses.

"This should serve everyone as a valuable lesson. I know you recently learned to keep our mind open and to feel the surrounding energies. But this way, we are open to being affected by the very same energies. And once someone has power over your mind, your fate is sealed."

Magne spared Hela a cold look to see if she need any help. Asgards' crown princess couldn't help but notice that the High-sorceress was ready to help her after she gave her little lecture about dangerous energies.

Magne continued: "What you felt pales in comparison to what the people must have felt when the spell was unleashed. It is said that the whole planet was covered in fog and every living species was affected. While in the mist everything became a puppet of the caster. Losing all their free will, it was then easy for them to fall to the dark elves. Most life perished here that day. It's only thanks to King Bor and his soldiers that a similar fate hasn't taken place in our home. Let us get closer. But be careful not to let your mind be affected by the surrounding energies. Everyone make especially sure not to get into the fog itself. Even an average person will still be affected inside the mist."

After they arrived in a clearing Magne sent out some sentries and called her group to gather to begin the lecture.

"Listen up, everybody. Today we try to understand and dissipate some of the mist. For that, I need everyone to channel some of the fog. Now that you know what to look for, this should be an easy task. We already went over all the needed techniques. When you start feeling the effects, I need you to picture something you are absolutely resolute in. We have done plenty of these mental exercises already, so I expect everybody to be on point. Depending on who you are, it could be something simple as always eating dessert after dinner."

What made all her little minions laugh.

"Personally, I concentrate on my resolve to further my studies of the arcane. After you have counterweighted the emptiness of your mind with your desire. You need to use the spell matrix *free will* that was sent to everyone before the expedition. This may take a couple of times, but I am confident that by the end of the day, all of her precious students will have this down.

Now, go practice."

*free will* was roughly a promise to oneself to be of sound mind, to be in control. This is something Hela wanted to learn, needed to learn. She doubted it would be able to throw off the mind stone, but there are bound to be lots of people that would try to control one over this avenue. It was paramount that she master this skill.

Sadly Magne seemed to have something against her. Not that she cared much. Most people didn't like her for one reason or another. She figured out early that she exuded some kind of dark energy. Goddess of Death and all. Either that or Asgardians were a lot more rebellious than featured in the Marvel Movies. But it was who she was, and she couldn't change that. It was a price she gladly paid for all the advantages her position gave her. Once she had enough power, others simply would need to get used to it. Might make right, after all. Her mother never cared, and Odin was above such things. Since she couldn't count on the help of Magne, she simply would need to practice until she was able to do it correctly.

Hela early made the decision that she wouldn't bother with people that couldn't handle her natural aura with a smile. She quickly learned only people of real power weren't really affected. It was an excellent way of finding said people in a crowd, though. Her own little radar so to speak. Of course, there were always pretenders here and there, and she met her fair share of them, but that was simply part of the high society life.

Not wanting to fall behind, she took some steps towards the mist and started channelling it. As soon as she noticed the emptiness creeping up towards her mind, she focused on her desire to survive. To come out of the coming mess alive.

'Survive!'

Since she was focusing strongly on the desire for the last 300 years, it didn't take even a second to overthrow the powers of the mist.

Silently she chanted the *free will* matrix in her mind.

Nothing.

Not wanting to give up, she sighed before trying again.

*free will*

*free will*

*free will!*

This time though, she felt a power surge in her body. Something was coming from her core. Her determination to have free will was genuinely absolute at this moment. It was a rush her face couldn't help but blush. Thoughts like 'Nobody tells me what to do!' or 'I am her own woman!' cruised through her head. At the same time, she couldn't remember a time she felt as powerful as at this moment. She felt indomitable.

'Nothing would ever control me!'

In a large circle around her, the mist dissipated. She noticed the shocked faces of everyone. Meeting the gaze of Magne, she simply shrugged. Though she was not showing it in her posture or her face, she felt really smug.

'That'll show you.'

Hela finally had proof that she am no lost cause where magic is considered.

She was able to cast spells! Even if it was only to express her innermost desires. Nobody would take her free will.

She always had an integrated fear of hypnosis, mind control and even mind reading. She knew it wasn't possible around the time she died in her past life, but even the possibility scared her. To not be in control of your own thoughts had to be the scariest power in the universe. She also vowed not to use the mind stone for that purpose. This very fear powered her spell so she wouldn't be able to inflict this to another. Not wanting to let go of this high, she quickly closed the distance between her and the remaining fog and repeated the processes.

In just a short few hours, the whole clearing was cleared. Most by herself and in the end, the princess even had to hold back to give the others a chance to practice. She would not lie; it felt great. After years of disappointments, she finally succeeded in magic. She wanted to skip around and dance, and she would have if it weren't improper for a lady of her status.

Suddenly Hela heard a guard cry "Enemy attack!" and all hell broke loose.

Mistress Magne tried to shout something, but before she was able to finish even her first tone, a colossal wolf jumped onto the clearing. The canine was easily 15 feet tall. The landing created a small shockwave which caught everyone off guards. Seeing its opportunity, the wolf chomped a guard to death in an instant. Afterwards, it instantly jumped to another spot to not be encircled and to maybe repeat the action.

Hela was shocked for a moment. How could she have missed this beast? Usually, Hela felt all life forms around her. The mist must have diluted her senses, but now that she saw it, it was like she was hit by a powerful aura.

Hela drew her sword and started yelling orders. Since the expedition fell under her responsibility, she had to make sure to minimize the losses.

"Guards build small teams to prevent the beast from getting you alone. Take maximal one magician per team. Start attacking from a distance. All teams with a magician in it, focus on protecting your ally. The rest fan out and try attacking from different angles. Remember, try to survive this encounter. We have no need for heroes today!"

Before having restored the order, the wolf swallowed another guard while he was looking around for a group to join.

Even though they had lost another man, nobody panicked and followed her order perfectly. Soon the mages were shooting the giant wolf with energy blasts while the guards tried to cut off its escape routes, getting a shoot of here and there.

The wolf realizing that it couldn't get any more free meals simply turned around and ran away with surprising speed.

"Don't let it escape, let us try following it for a bit. Follow my lead and keep alert!." the princess commanded while focusing on the wolfs significant presence. Tracking it would be easy as long it wouldn't leave her range.

Leading her soldier as fast as possible while keeping out of the wolfes senses was almost too easy. It took a while, but, finally, the canine seemed to stop. She quietly signalled her troops to follow her lead while considering the wind. She didn't want to let their scent give them away.

It seemed the wolf has returned to his lair, which just was a shallow cave in a surrounding hill.

After deciding that they possibly couldn't get any closer. Hela stealthily gave the "Attack!" command via hand sign, and began swarming their enemy along with the guards. This time the wolf wasn't escaping. With a howl, it frenzied onto them.

What followed then was a quick fight. Whenever it tried to attack one group, others instantly sprang into action from a different angle and injured it. After a good 20 minutes, it was already full of wounds. As the leader, it was her obligation to give the killing blow. So when she saw its unsteady stand, she moved into position and quickly jumped onto its back. She then drove her sword through the end of its head. A swift and deadly blow. Without losing any more soldiers, they had felled the beast.

"Everyone report on your status. Mages heal the wounded. Everyone uninjured scout the area. Aric, Hagen follow my lead, I am gonna scout the area." While closing in, she noticed small presences inside the lair. She was pretty sure the wolf had offspring hiding and depending on how young they were, it was possible that they could be tamed.

As luck would have it, they found two little wolf cubs, one male and one female. They seemed to be born not too long ago and weren't able to differ friend and enemy at all. Knowing Hela's original story and being a dog person in her past life, she decided to raise them herself.

Picking up the male she began cooing "Aren't you the cutest little things I have ever seen. I am going to name you Garmr. And your sister is going to be named Fenris." Even though she doubted that they would someday be able to keep up with the Hulk like in the movie, but if their mothers' fight were any indication, they would be plenty strong in their own right.

"Aric, Hagen! Treat them like your own blood. Any harm done to them will be dealt to you two fold!"

"As you command, Lady Hela." the princess wasn't expecting any different answer from soldiers deemed loyal enough to guard her on this expedition, so she showed no sign of acknowledgement and headed back out of the cave.

Magne seemed to have taken back charge outside as everybody was orderly getting treatment. Some of the uninjured had been sent back to watch. When the sorceress saw the cubs being carried out, she straightened her back and stomped over.

"So you found two more beasts" she practically spat the last part. "You should have killed them where you found them. Let us remedy this travesty." Addressing the two soldiers carrying the cubs: "What are you waiting for? Kill these monsters!."

Hela stayed cool and simply held up her hand to signal that the command is not to be carried out.

"Lady Magne, there is no need to kill these two. They are still babies, and I decided to take them in."

"Decided to take them in? Whatever for?" Magne screeched.

"Obviously, to raise them and then let them fight for Asgard." Hela drawled slowly.

"These beasts would only sully the Asgardian name. Just like their master is doing right now."

Helas face morphed into an impressionless mask, and her voice grew colder with every word. "I have taken your insubordination long enough, Mistress Magne. May I remind you that I am the crown princess and that you should be careful of how you address me?"

"We both know that you have no real standing in the palace, princess."

"May that be for now, but I am in charge here right now. So when I tell you to stand down, you stand down. Now be an obedient little servant and stand down."

Seemingly having found a sore point, Magnes' face grew dangerously red. She practically screeched "You dare?"

"Yes, I dare. I am willing to let a lot go considering your seniority. But not in this." Turning to the surrounding soldiers, believing this matter closed, Hela continued. "Everyone get ready to head back!".

Magne though wouldn't take being dismissed like this. She raised her hand and slapped Hela across the face. "I will not allow you little freak to talk to me like this."

Hela barely even felt the slap of the physically weak magician. She had seen the attack coming, and instead of flinching back, she calmly took the hit and started smiling. She then turned to a soldier. "Tell me, sergeant, what is punishment for attacking a superior officer?"

The shock of what was happening left the officer immediately. His spine straightened, and he responded as if he was repeating something he had memorized by heart: "Attacking a superior officer earns you 30 lashes with the whip and 5 days in the hole."

Hela knew there was a no-tolerant policy in her fathers' army. "Well? What are you waiting for soldier? Like I said, I am the commanding officer for this mission. Carry out the first part of the sentence."

Magne's face grew pale. "You dare? Your father will not allow this."

"My father is not here right now. I am." Turning back to the sergeant. "What are you waiting for?"

Hastily this one responded: "We are on an active mission, mam. It would be unwise to injure our best magician."

"Your tactical reasoning can only be applauded and I commend you that you raised a fair point. But do not worry soldier, I have all under control. I take full responsibility. Care out the order."

Not daring to argue any further, the sergeant only replied. "Yes, ma'am!"

Before Magne could come back to her senses, she was being dragged away by the superior physical man and bound to nearby stone. Every other person in the clearing was still baffled about what was happening, and nobody moved. Still in shock what had played out in front of their eyes.

Magne realizing that the sentence was carried out started to fight her restraints. "This is ridiculous. Let me go, this instance!"

"The only ridiculous thing here is that you thought I would let this go Magne." Hela calmy commented from the sideline. "Begin!"

The soldier nodded and began the whipping. "One!"

"Two!"

* * *

After the 10th lash, Magne lost her consciousness, but Hela let the sentence carry out to the end none the less. Healing spells would keep the wounds from scarring, but Hela was sure the lesson would stay on her mind for a long time. To gain authority, she needed to make a name for herself. She needed to show that she wouldn't be pushed around. Even if she was willing to play the long game, she could not risk losing her place in Asgards' chain of command. So while she would not be unnecessarily cruel, she needed to prove that she was nobody to mess with.

All attending soldiers showed no difference in behaviour. They understood the importance of obedience in the army. Magnes' disciples though didn't dare to make any more sounds and stood as far as possible from the princess. Hela knew that they would spread the word, but since she had followed the law to a T, she was not particularly worried. On the contrary, it would only help her in the long run. Wanting to finally return she addressed the crowned again.

"Healers tend to Magne. Everyone get ready to head back!"


	4. Chapter 4

Standing beside her fathers' throne, Hela smirked. She knew this was coming and was waiting ever since the successful expedition to Niflheim a few weeks back. Mistress Magne would make her case while the marks of her punishment were showing.

'What a buffoon'. Hela knew that her father wouldn't be moved by such a display.

The movies never showed the political landscape of Asgard. But even there it was clear, that Odin was the absolute monarch and basically made every decision himself, though he surrounded himself with a trusted council. Additionally, he opened court every few months were all his vassals could voice their concerns. Getting an invite to this court was profoundly tricky, though, and only people with the right connections had a chance of being heard. The better your standing was the more matters one was able to raise. It turned all aspiring Asgardians against each other instead of against the royal line. As High Sorceress, Magne was important enough to get her voice heard; thus, she was making her case today.

"After making sure that everyone was safe and cared for. I saw the princess come out of the cave with two more abominations. Just a few hours after we lost our men to their mothers' attack. The crown princess is still young and naive, and couldn't fathom what this action meant for the moral. We were already weakened, and any more mishaps could have spelt our end. That is why the most logical conclusion was to eliminate the threat and in a show of camaraderie. But instead of listening to her advisors, the princess promptly decided to give out an utterly out of proportion punishment, my king. I beg of you to redeem this injustice."

Everyone who had a place in Odin's court was an experienced politician, and Magne was no exception. Still, no one was better at this game then Odin himself. His face and posture were betraying nothing. He listened without showing any emotion what so ever. Hela knew Magne tried to get a hold of her, politically. Maybe even be forced under her command.

After a little stretch of silence, he finally responded. "Hela, do you have anything to add?"

Hela brightened. She had hoped this would come to pass when she had ordered the whipping. This was her chance to make a statement. Stepping forward, Hela dutifully began her report. "Yes, father. As my written report of the mission said. After the incident, I took several uninjured men to scout the premises. Thus making sure there was no further danger present. It didn't take us long to locate the wolfs lair. As mentioned by Lady Magne, we found two young cups in it. They couldn't have been older than a few months and weren't displaying any sign of aggression towards us. Judging that they were no threat and seeing what a full-grown hound could potentially do, I made the call to bring them back and if possible add them to Asgards forces otherwise take them in myself. Lady Magne clearly judged the situation differently. Being the leading officer on this mission, I told her several time to stay down. This seemed to incite her even more. Letting her emotions go through with her, she slapped me. This was a clear violation of Asgards code of arms section 1, §3 "The chain of command is sacred and shall not be broken." and only exceptions to these are if the order is harmful to Asgard in any way, if the commanding officer is under the influence of another being or a mind-altering substance or if there is proof the order would cause too many casualties without being properly necessitated by, e.g. an immediate threat to Asgard or another protected party. None of these was in contention.

Furthermore, it says in section 5, §1 "Attacking a superior officer is strictly forbidden". Since the attack was more a show of disobedience, then an actual attempt to do me harm, I decided on the lowest possible punishment of 30 lashes with the whip and 5 days in imprisonment. Which I am told are still due. I wait for your judgment, all-father." Hela finished her report and knelt down in a show of obedience.

Hela had grown up in the palace and was only absent during her training with the Valkyries. Even young in age, she knew exactly how to behave while court was in session. A point Magne had clearly misjudged, as she bristled and grew red of anger, she knew she was going to lose this round and desperately wanted to save some grace. But being experienced enough, she knew better than speak out of turn in court.

The report led to another stretch of silence, but Hela noticed the air growing more oppressive as the blood in the water had clearly aroused the bloodlust of the sharks that were the regulars of the court. Everyone here was vying for more power and would do anything to strip others of theirs. 3 main factions in court had the ear of Odin and were close advisors of the king. They were Hod father of Heimdall, a blind man that often advised on civilian matters, Valtrauta leader of Valkyrior, who rarely gave an opinion on any matter other then battle strategy and general Tyr, who was leader of the armed forces, the Einherjar, utterly loyal to Odin, his closest advisor and will later father Sif. Magne was part of Tyrs' group but had manoeuvred herself in a position, where she could not expect much help from anyone. This was the norm in the courts, other than the big 3 everyone was fair game and treated as such.

Hela didn't move an inch, she was in the right and didn't need to worry. Still, in the atmosphere, she felt her body growing tense.

"Does anybody else wish to add something before I give my judgment?" Odin asked, looking around. Nobody other than his advisors met his eyes and even them were slightly and respectfully shaking their heads. "Very well."

"Magne Elidottir for disobeying a direct order and attacking a superior officer I sentence you to 10 more lashes and 12 weeks in the dungeons. Guards, carry out the sentence!" Magne grew pale like a corpse and shot Hela a poisonous stare. But she didn't try to argue as she knew better.

"Hela Odinsdottir," Odin continued, "on the charge of unjust treatment of the men and women under your command I find you not guilty. On the charge of bringing level 3 unknown species to Asgard in disregard of any potential risk, disease or otherwise. I find you guilty. You are hereby sentenced a fee of 5000 units, and you have to hand in a full report on all the potential health risk Asgards face thanks to your reckless action. We expect the report by the time Magne gets released. Dismissed."

Hela grew green in range. She wanted to protest, dozen or more creatures are brought to Asgard to study. She wanted to shout injustice, but this had been driven out of her early in childhood. Odin's judgments were unshakeable.

5000 units were all she had saved over her long life. Not that she needed money since she got literally everything paid for her. But having private funds was something she took comfort in. It was probably one of the last habits she had left of her previous life. To set a little bit aside every time she gets allowance. And it paid, over the time she had collected considerable sum. Worst of all, she knew Odin knew that it was a point of comfort for her.

Furthermore, Odin had taken her to win. This was supposed to be her warning to all other sharks that think they can take a piece of her. This was supposed to be a precedent to what happens if you mess with her.

Still, she was clear-headed enough to know, that she wouldn't freak out in public. So instead, she instantly redid her meditation breathing practices, trying to let go of her anger. While in rage, she walked through the floors without any destination in mind. When she finally calmed, she was surprised how far she had gotten. She made it all the way to the stables.

She noticed a small girl looking at the horses. The girl had long blond hair and was wearing a light green dress. She seemed excited to see the animals as she was practically shaking in her boots. In the hope to get a distraction, Hela gathered herself and started walking over to the girl.

"Do you like horses?" Hela asked as softly as possible, not wanting to startle the child.

"Yeah! Who doesn't? I like all kinds of horses! Sleipnir is my favourite! It's so beautiful and graceful. I want one too when I am bigger." the blond child exclaims happily, as she turns around to see who she is talking to. As soon as she spots Hela, she does an awkward bow "Princess Hela!"

"There is no need to bow, child. I am not my father." Hela awkwardly reached out to the kid. Hela always believed children should be given more leeway. Even in the palace.

Quickly enough, the child stopped bowing and was scrutinizing Hela instead. "You feel weird!" she proclaimed. Nodding proudly to herself as if she had solved a great mystery.

Hela simply chuckled. "I get that a lot. What is your name?"

"I am Amora Freyrdottir, and I am 15 years old!"

'The Enchantress?' "That's amazing, Lady Amora, I am Hela Odinsdottir, well met," responded Hela with a curtsy.

Not wanting to be left out Amore curtsied back. "Well met, Lady Hela." She held out long enough before she started giggling.

The childish behaviour made Hela smirk, "Say, do you want to comb Sleipnir?"

Amoras' face practically became one huge grin "Yeah!" she shouted.

Hela decided to tease her: "Then follow me. I assume you know how to handle a brush?"

Amora face grew fearful "Not yet, but I can learn."

"Don't worry Amora, I will show you how." Hela placated the child. "It's very easy, actually. You have different brushes for its mane and the rest of its body, and you brush in the direction of the hair growth. Did you get that?"

"Yes, Mistress Hela."

'Mistress?' Helas' lips twitched. "So what brings you into the palace Amora?" asked Hela while starting to brush Sleipnir.

"My mother is one of the queens handmaidens, and she brings me here to look at horses."

"Oh, so your mother is an important woman. Do you want to be a handmaiden when you grow up?"

That stopped Amora for a second before she answered: "Hmmm, no. I want to be a princess! Just like you. Then I could play with horses all day."

"A princess, you say? That's not an easy job, you have to attend boring parties and the court. And talk with stuffy old man, all day. Does that sound like something you want to do?"

"I love parties and old man always give me candy. But I never have been to court." Amora added with a frown.

"It's a boring place where old men debate about the law."

"And a princess has to go?"

"Every time."

"Then I just change that. So I don't have to do that boring stuff."

That made Hela snort "I am afraid that is not that easy. Only a queen can change that."

"Then I just become the queen."

"Hahaha" Hela couldn't hold her laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed, but it did her good. "That's an ambitious goal, little Amora. Never change."

The initially confused looking Amora, starting grinning too. "I promise!"

"Say Amora, why aren't you afraid of me?"

"Because you are not scary?"

Helas' small smile grew into a huge grin: "We are going to be terrific friends, little Amora."

"Really? That's awesome."

"Yeah, I am sure. But it seems as I have to go. You can keep brushing Sleipnir, he doesn't seem to mind. See you soon Amora." Hela told Amora as she saw Muginn at the stables entrance.

Hela had been summoned by Odin


End file.
